Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Angelpunk Primer

But what does angel need with a gun?

Welcome
friend, to the wonderful subgenre of angelpunk.There are many subgenres out there, but this one is ours.I understand, you might be new to the whole angelpunk
concept, so let me get you a few introductory lessons that will help out.

Angel Heart – Mickey
Rourke, Robert De Niro, and the film that got Lisa Bonet kicked off “A
Different World”.Rourke is Harry Angel,
a private detective in the classic noir sense, contracted by De Niro as Mr. Cyphre
to find Johnny Favorite.Favorite suffered
a head injury in WWII which has prevented Cyphre from completing the contract
they had.What?You don’t see the angels in this?Just wait.Just wait.

Who doesn't love Denzel?

Fallen – Denzel Washington, John
Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz, James Gandolfini, Elias
Koteas.If that’s not enough for you,
check this out.Denzel is a Philly
police detective who starts to figure out that the copycat serial killer he’s
been tracking may not be a copycat at all.Instead, the killer maybe a demon, possessing the bodies of other people
to wreak havoc.But is that even
possible?

Dogma – Not as dark as the previous
two films, but a much more open and interesting portrayal of angels as
incarnated by the dynamic duo Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.Kevin Smith shares his view of Catholic
dogma, here at the peak of his classic witty style with characters Jay and
Silent Bob providing plenty of funnies.

Frailty – Matthew McConaughey
walks into an FBI office (with his shirt on) to tell Powers Boothe that his
brother is the “Hand of God” killer, and was raised that way by their
ultra-religious father played by Bill Paxton.But it’s not just simple killings.Instead, McConaughey (still with his shirt on) says that his brother believes
he’s killing demons.If you think that’s
twisty, wait until things get rolling!

The Prophecy – After Lucifer’s
fall, God favored humankind over the angels.Some of the angels, led by Christopher Walken’s Gabriel, decide that’s
silly, and start a new war.They face
off against decidedly overmatched angels like Eric Stoltz as Simon.But are they a match for LA police detective
Thomas (Elias Koteas again), a former priest who lost his faith.They will be, if the “bad angels” can get the
dark soul of recently deceased Colonel Hawthorne, which now resides inside a
young girl, Mary.If nothing else, watch
for Viggo Mortenson’s incredible performance
as Lucifer.

We all knew there was something offabout Billy Zane!

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon
Knight
– This was Tales first foray into
feature films, and it was originally supposed to be the second in a trilogy.Universal Studios thought this movie had the
most potential, so they ran with it out of the gate.For my money, they weren’t wrong.Demon
Knight had a wonderful mix of drama and comedy that could have pushed into
farce, but balanced on the edge.The
plot is a simple cliché trapped-in-a-farmhouse, but it’s done well and done
right.Billy Zane is effortless as the
evil baddie Collector who is trying to collect an artifact from drifter Frank
Brayker (William Sadler).Brayker doesn’t
want to give up the artifact, and a host of demons are called in to convince
him.

Gabriel – Purgatory isn’t
just a concept, it’s a seedy, dark city that defines noir.Heaven and Hell have fought over control of
Purgatory and the souls it houses.Somehow, Hell now has the upper hand, and Andy Whitfield’s pre-Spartacus archangel Gabriel has been
sent to figure out what happened to his comrades, especially the warrior
champion Michael.Beautifully imagined and
rendered, this movie is easily on the ultimate angelpunk films of all time.

There
are a slew of other films that I could include, like The Devil’s Advocate, Constantine
and Legion.But that’s the wonder and fun of
angelpunk.There is just so much out
there to discover, and not just in the realm of movies.Angels, those mysterious forces for good and
evil, are everywhere in entertainment media, and their portrayal is often worth
the search.

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About Me

R.A. McCandless has been a writer both professionally and creatively for nearly two decades. He was born under a wandering star that led to a degree in Communication and English with a focus on creative writing. He is the author of the urban fantasy novel “Tears of Heaven” (EPIC Award Finalist) and “Hell Become Her” (due 2015). His short stories have appeared in “Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy”, “In Shambles” and “Gears, Gadgets and Steam”. He continues to research and write historical and genre fiction, battle sprinklers, and play with his three boys.